Posts tagged sermon

Sermon & Lesson Prep in the Windows Desktop App

One of my favorite features in The Bible Study App is the Split Window feature. However, when preparing for a sermon or small group lesson, sometimes two windows just aren’t enough. For example, when I prepare for teaching, I like to compare multiple Bible translations, study Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, atlases, and my own notes I’ve taken on the Scriptures I’m studying. This is not a problem in The Bible Study Desktop App. All I have to do is use the pop out feature in The Bible Study App.

I start with the split window feature in The Bible Study Desktop App (here’s a helpful video on split window feature in Windows) by clicking the split window button . I then click the Pop out button at the top right hand corner of The Bible Study App. This opens a new pop out window in the resource that I’m already in. I can accomplish the same task by hitting the drop down menu and choosing “Open this book in a new window”.

Next, I choose the resource that I want to view in this new window by choosing it from the drop down menu.

I continue this process until I have all of the Bibles, Study Bibles, Commentaries, etc. open that I want to view for this study. With this option, I can view all of the resources I want at the same time and the multiple windows will sync with where I am in the main window of the app.

If preachers were to jot down a short list of the things they don’t love to preach about, you would probably see “tithing” near the top of every list. Giving is integral to a life of faith, but some pastors and teachers are afraid that talking about it will come off as self-serving.

For those of you who would like a little help introducing this sensitive topic, look no further. SermonSpice is offering a short, upbeat video download for FREE that talks about what tithing is and why it’s important. It’s a great way to introduce a sermon
on the topic, or to play before the offering.

Easter has come and gone. The community outreach events are completed. The music hit home. The preaching connected. God showed up. People were changed. Everything you’ve worked towards and focused on the last several weeks has come to fruition. Now what?

You knew this moment would happen, but the hustle and bustle of preparing for the most important service and sermon of the year consumed your every waking thought. Now it’s Easter Monday and the next Sunday sermon is only 6 days away. Maybe you had the forethought to plan the next series, but haven’t had the time to actual prepare.

Not to worry. There are plenty of themes to discuss. Here are a few questions to help you brainstorm and get the ideas flowing:

Consider your Easter Sermon. What was the main point (beyond the obvious)? What are some secondary points that could be used as a sermon series? Could you take the bullet points from your Easter sermon and create a series of sermons to drive the point home? Were there things you left unsaid because of time constraints? Perhaps you can take that sermon and use it as a launching pad into the next few weeks or months. You spent a lot of time preparing for that Easter sermon. Use those resources to your benefit.

Consider your Calendar. What is coming up next on the calendar? Some of the obvious answers would be Pentecost Sunday and Mother’s Day. But what else could you bring a biblical perspective to? What about Tax Day, Earth Day, Cinco de Mayo, or Memorial Day? Okay, maybe Tax Day is a stretch. Take a look at your local calendar as well. Is your church celebrating a significant event? What is going on in your community in the upcoming weeks and months? What can you point out and use as a bridge to your community?

Consider your Context. What are the issues going on in your community right now? Are there social justice issues that need to be addressed from a biblical perspective? Are there positive outcomes in the local government or law enforcement that you can affirm? What are the heart concerns of the community? How can you speak to these issues? Take a few minutes to feel the pulse of your context.

Consider your Church. How’s your church doing? Are there aspects of disunity, bitterness, or un-forgiveness to be confronted? On the other side of this, who do you need to say “thank you” to? Who needs to be encouraged, affirmed, strengthened, and appreciated for all the hard work they did on Easter Sunday? How can you champion the volunteers in the nursery, Sunday school, small groups, greeters, ushers, worship team, and all of the various aspects that it takes to make a service happen?

Consider Christ. Perhaps the most overlooked sermon prep tool is prayer. How is Jesus speaking to you? What is Jesus saying that needs to be preached? How can you point people to Jesus and use their felt needs as a starting point? We have to remember that Christ is more concerned about people than we are. It’s easy to fall into the trap that we alone are responsible for bringing the Word of God to people. However, it’s Jesus who said that He will build His church (Matthew 16:15). Let’s remember to ask God for His help in bring His Word to His people.

As Easter Sunday fast approaches you may be looking for media to help enhance the feel of your gatherings such as video illustrations, images, or graphics. Last week we talked about some great books for Easter and this week I thought I’d point you to a few sites for finding graphics and video. If you know of any other great sites for video illustration, graphics, or images, please share them in the comments section.

VIDEO

Whether you’re looking for simple background loops or powerful video illustrations, Bluefish.tvhas some very affordable and downloadable videos that can be easily embedded into presentation software. Click HERE to see some of their Easter resources.

Sermon Spice has great quality videos, worship backgrounds, and service countdowns. They are also easily embedded into most presentation software and their large library all but ensures you’ll find what you’re looking for. Click HEREto see some of their Easter resources.

Photos and Graphics

If you’re looking for free and royalty free images stock.xchng is a great spot. Nearly all of the images and graphics have a free license which allows you to use them in your presentations, website, and handouts. It does require a free registration to download images and you’ll have to be creative with your search criteria but you can’t beat the price.

Share Faith is a one stop shop for graphics, powerpoint, backgrounds, images, video loops and more. Their yearly membership is very affordable but if you want to try them out first they offer a free 10 day trial.

What is the resurrection really about? Is there actual proof that Jesus lived, died, and was brought back to life? How does this impact both the believer and the non believer? Why should we care?

In a few weeks, millions of people all across the Earth will be asking these questions and more, as people gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Some will be reaffirming their faith in this history changing event and others will be skeptically pondering whether it’s even true. Whether you’re a pastor preaching on Easter Sunday or not, much like the Christmas season, this time of year focuses us on the events which happened 2,000 years ago that have huge implications for our life today.

Whether you’re preparing a sermon, having conversations with friends, or teaching your kids, here are some great resources that help unpack the reality of what Jesus did for us!

I use The Bible Reader every Sunday to take sermon notes and wanted to share with you one of my favorite features that allows me to quickly follow the Pastor’s scripture references without leaving the primary text I have open in my main reading pane.

First open up the notes on the split screen:

Then click ‘Add Note’

Now add the scripture reference to your notes. How it becomes a hyperlink varies between platforms. In the iOS for instance it doesn’t have hyperlink capability unless you are done typing and the keyboard is hidden. You can then simply tap the hyperlinked reference and a ‘Popout’ will appear that takes you to that verse. In the below picture I’m using the Windows Desktop version and I need to hold down Ctrl and then Click to jump to the scripture reference. While the functionality varies across devices you can then ‘Popout’ the scripture or have it become the primary text in your main reading window.

You don’t have to type out the whole word either as most abbreviations are recognized. So in this case Matt 28:18 is enough for the App to recognize and hyperlink to the right verse.